The overall acceptability of 202 consumers has been
analysed by ANOVA, multiple means comparison, cluster
analysis and internal preference mapping (MDPREF). Three
clusters are found with different preference criteria. These
clusters can also be characterized according to actual purchase
behaviour, declared consumption habits and sociodemographic
characteristics. This study demonstrates the
importance for the agro-food industry of examining
consumers’ individual preferences as well as average ones, to
obtain relevant information including not only the consumers’
preference trends, but also the most suitable segment to target
a new product.
In this way, the MDPREF shows that although consumers’
preferences tend to Iberian hams over white-breed hams, there
is a cluster of consumers which prefers PDO Teruel ham over
one of the iberian hams. This cluster shows also some sociodemographic
and purchase and consumption habits
peculiarities.